New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1887-08-10
! FUNERAL IN & TENEMENT
The Unostentatlous Service over
the Death of d Baby.


A'little girl In red heckered apron
stood on tip-toe TO tie two pieces Of
white ribbon to. the front door knob of
the big tenement where she lived. It
was in Rose street just around the
corner.
The ribbon was limp and old, and
hung in a lifeless way against the worn
panels Of the door. She stepped back
to note the effect and another girl about
the same age came out from door IN
the lower hallway and joined her. The
two little ones were the only signs of
life about the great building that
looked black and forbidding with its
range of grated fre-escapes giving it
the air of barred prison The second
conner stared at the first girl with bold
eyes for a moment and said, pointing
to the Tutoring ribbons:
'tWhat did you do. that for2''
'Baby is dead y
ttDo youiive in this housep''
Yes; on the fourth floor
'sHuh, =. with a sniff Of contempt.
1--WE live on the first floor and we've
got a baby carriage Then in more
conciHatory way May come up and
sec it?.
Il. gness. so, !" and the two children,
hand In hand, went up the dark steps
to, the little room fronting ON the
street, where the mother and the wo-
man,of the next room were preparing
the child; for burial.
It was a. bloodless little thing, the
piece of. clay the women fondled in that
lingering way they have with those
they loves: The mother seemed Jealous
of the attention her friend showed the
child. She wanted to attend to the
last rites. herself. She could not bear
to, have other hands to touch the little
| thing No other hands but hers should
smooth the pillow for its last Sleep
There was no wild outburst of weeping
OH her. part, and beyond a certain
righteousness no demonstration of
affection. The mother did not even
cry. She was too used to suffering for
that. She talked reminiscently of the
bundle of white on the bed. She
told how she never expected to raise it;
| that it hasf always been thin and sicklv;
chat it was the best child in spite of all
| that the world had ever seen; that she
knew it could never stand the warm
weather and q thousand little details
that only a mother could remember
and repeat. And every now and then
she would begin again and go over its
peculiarities, finding some new charm
to tell of.
The other woman was sympathetic
and receptive, petting the mother and
calling her ''Dearie" and MY dar-
lin and fitting about the room put
ting things to rights with an air of pro-
pr1etorship that would have been hot
~ resented at any other time. The
two neighbors living so close together
had been great enemies and had fought
royalty over the petty privileges of the
fourth floor hallway. But all that was
forgotten and laid aside now
| Pretty soon young man with a
weeks growth of beard and furred
silk hat came in softly without knock
| ing at the door. He said he was the
undertaken. Nobody knew how he had
found out about the death He had book
with pictures of collins in it. He STEP
ped on tiptoe across the room and ask
|
row morning would suit for the funer-
al. Then he said for S14 one could get
a beautiful casket. He always called
his collins Baskets. The neighbor took
him aside and conferred with him, f.
nally getting the $14 casket for $l1.
Then he went away, after leaving re-
ceipt for the SIS cash that had been
! paid on installment.
The mother took the cold form of her
child in her arms and rocked it as she
had done so often in life. It had a
long, white gown, with bit of lace
down the front. She took a wisp of
pink ribbon and fastened it at the
baby throat. The neighbors protest.
ed that she must not do that; it would
never do. But the mother persisted
and the bit Of bright color remained.
The husband came home from work
at the usual hour and did not grumble
at the cold supper that was spread for
him. He kissed his wife in way that
he had not done since they were mar
ried. They were loving couple, full
OF the truest affection for each other.
| but the affection did not often find out
ward expression. He sat with his wife
for half an hour and then feeling HIM
self IN the way went down and joined
the group on the stoop. She did not
care to leave the room.
He was working on particularly ur-
gent job and went off with his tools as
usual the next morning. He kissed
the mother of the little one again be-
| fore he left. The woman across the
hall came in early and put things to
rights. Then she disappeared for a
! little space and returned, dressed in a
newer gown of black. She brought a
bunch of ox-eyed daisies with her and
put them in the baby's hands. The
| little girl who had tied the white rib
| bon that served as Grape to the front
door knob, came up wonderingly and
! felt OF the flowers. Then she took one
for herself. The neighbor and the UNI
s. derEaker arranged the casket, the wo-